The Phoenix Colony

Smith had started to follow Ray inside when she popped right back out. "Coby is in labor." He said to Reva. Smith felt envy that he was going to have to wait to hold his child but was glad that the tribe was getting a new member. He limpped into the cave with a smile on his face and proceeded to find himself a nice spot out of the way so Ray could get to work. Again he was rather worthless, though he didn't think he'd be helping much in anycase.

 

Nathan ignored Chrys, "Um, somebody is having a baby? I think you should go help."

Chrys rolled her eyes, "No, not my task, can't be trusted under pressure, these things," she said, flashing her claws, "have a way of popping out when they shouldn't. I can control them, but once you've scratched somebody's baby, you kind of can't take it back." She remembered holding Mineko's baby and being startled by his crying, the poor boy has a cat-claw shaped scar on his side.

"Oh, I see, actually, I don't." He sat down so that only his head was above the water, "Waut's it like having hightened sight?"

"It can be fun at times, like when I hunt-"

"You, hunt?" Nathan was starting to realize that Chrys had a new surprise for every moment.

"Yes, I hunt. I also get bloodlust, okay. It's not fun. But I can tell when it's coming now, so I disappear for a few days and hunt. I usually bring back something, just so people have a reason not to chase me. The longer I stay away, the bigger the gift I return with. I caught one of those guerilla thigies once, we had dried meat for the next two months." Chrys smiled, proud of herself.

"Um, ay I ask a personal question?"

Chrys gave him a glare, "Depends."

"Well, you're cat like and all-would you-I mean, do you-Kittens od like a baby-" He was stammering uncontrollably.

Chrys covered his mouth, "A, I have no effing clue. B, that was too personal."

Nathan gave a muffled, "Sarby."

 

Raylene and Reva entered the cave to find Cody in the throngs of another contraction. Cull was sitting with her, whispering in her ear, trying to help her cope with the pain.

Ray handed Chad a water bladder, "Will you heat that over the fire, don't boil it, just get it warm." She moved around the cave finding a clean blanket and a sharp rock which she placed by the fire to heat up. She would need it to cauterize the umbilical cord.

She had everything ready, now they just had to wait.

 

Fox wakes up from her nap to see everyone sitting by Cody. Fox walks over and sits with everyone else and says "It looks like we're going to have another littleone running around the cave." with a smile.

 

Chrys and Nathan sat in the water, "Burm, cwuld yoo twake yoor and bfr mie myuth?"

Chrys looked down, "I'm sorry, it's just that Cody, the one in labor, her baby is breathing now, it's really close. Can you hear it?" She was practically purring.

NAthan grabbed her hand away from his mouth, "I can hear her heartbeat actually. Um, why is everyone so nervous?"

Chrys couldn't answer that, she didn't even try. "You want to head back?" She stood up and extended a hand to help him out.

"Thank you." He said as he grasped her hand and stood up.

"Off we go."

 

Fox turns her head to see the entrance. Kat and Nathan are coming into the cave. "Hey guys, hurry up or you'll miss it." She hears a bunch of chirping around her. Joey, Athena and the other rat-roos have gathered around her and on her lap to see what was going on.

 

Nathan looks at Fox as if she's offered him pickled leeches, "Um, I think I'll sit outside, this isn, -well I'm,-"

Chrys realizes two things, he's nervous, and she's still holding his hand, which is starting to burn. "Gee wilikers!" She yanks her hand back and says, "No, I think he should sit outside." She turns to him and says, "Go."

Nathan is more than happy to go outside, he wasn't nervous only because of the labor. His skin began to show with the heat of his blush. He smiled and thought to himself, "SHe held my hand."

 

Cody's contractions were right on top of each other, barely giving her time to rest between each one. A wave of heat flooded her body and she grunted through another contraction. Raylene positioned herself between Cody's knees with the blanket and the hot rock wrapped in a piece of leather right beside her on the floor. "Ok Cody, this is it. You need to push when the next contraction starts. Chad, is the water ready? We have to clean it right away so the blood won't attack any ceaders."

Cody screamed. The pain was intense and she started to push. She took a deep breath and pushed again. "The heads out, don't push until I can clean out it's mouth." Raylene swept her finger into it's mouth, drawing out the fluid. "Ok, push again." Cody pushed and Raylene turned the baby and its shoulders emerged. Cody pushed one more time and the baby came out. "It's a GIRL!"

She grabbed the hot rock and firmly pressed the umbilical cord into the ground, severing it and cauterizing the end and handed the baby to Reva so she could clean and wrap her. She sat back on her haunches, waiting for the placenta to detach. Someone would have to take it to the carcass dump quickly. They learned that when Mineko gave birth. The scent of the afterbirth brought the ceaders far to close for comfort.

She flashed a smile at Chad. He still had that silly grin on his face. This will be us soon enough!!!!

 

Smith had followed the instructions and had even left his cane behind so that he could hold the water blader. He had brought it back, really warm, but not enough to burn. Someone had taken the water from him at some point and he had found himself right next to Ray after she had handed over the baby girl.

I can hardly wait. He replied, still ignoring his knees that complained at him. The healing water was still working it's magic and would for an hour or so more before the pain really bothered him. He had refused to use it often for fear of any side effects from constant use.

 

Chrys watched the little girl come to the world, still surprised, as she was with the previous Tribal births. "I can't believe it," she said to herself.

"Is she out?" Nathan answered, thinking Chrys was right behind him.

Chrys walked out to Nathan, "If you knew it was a girl, then you knew she was born."

"Good point. Why is your heart beating so fast? Are you as nervous as the others?"

Chrys was surprised, "Is your hearing that good, or is my heart that loud."

"I'll go with the former as opposed to the latter. I hate my hearing." He sulked abit.

"Well, I love mine." Chrys smiled wide, she really did love her hearing.

"Yes but you have batter hearing aanndd sight. I am losing my sight as I gain my hearing."

 

Fox sits there watching Cody hold her baby. She pets Joey and Athena who are on her lap giving happy chirps at the baby. Fox thinks about her mom fo a second. "Welcome to this world little girl. I promise you, you will have a safe and happy childhood. You can always come to your aunt Fox for help." thinks Fox.

 

Cody felt the urge to push again and Cull took the baby from her. Raylene set a piece of leather on the ground and caught the placenta, tied it up in the leather and handed it off to Fox.

"Can you please take this down to the dump?"

Raylene felt Cody's stomach and made sure that her uterus was clamping down to stop the bleeding.

"Do you know what you're going to name her?" Raylene asked as she took a seat next to Chad.

Cull and Cody look at each other and Cull nods his head. "Zara Lordly-Brackwell," Cody smiles and takes her daughter in her arms and kisses her on the forehead.

 

Athena climbs up onto Fox's shoulder, as the other rat-roos scatter. Fox stands and takes the placenta out of the cave. She passes by Nathan and Chys. "I guess you two are enjoying you're alone time." says Fox with a grin as she continues to walk. In the woods there is an area full of bones and half eaten animals. Fox tosses the placenta into the middle of it and starts the walks back to the cave.

 

Chrys glares at Fox as she walks away, "I am sicka that!" She turns her glare on Nathan, "And that grin helps nothing."

Nathan looks over at her, "Why are you so against even being my friend?" He tried to keep his frustration at bay, "I'm the one that bursts inro flames because of our conversations."

Chrys plucked Nathan's nose before standing up and heading to intercept Fox on her way back.

 

While walking back to the cave, Kat walks up to her. "Hey there miss Chrissy Kat. Your fur looks fluffed up, so I guess you liked hanging out with him." says Fox.

 

Smith smiled and took ahold of Ray's hand. We should start thinking about names soon. He thought happily and listened quietly for the hum, it came after a moment. An active little thing, bet it's going to be a handful. He said and looked up at Cody admireing her new baby girl. She looked a lot like her mother. Smith felt a pain of guilt surge through him Do you think it'll get stuck with my looks?

 

Chrys could feel her fur stiffen more, she snarled "No." As she caught step with Fox, "Is there something I'm missing here? Why is the tribe so set on me mating? I think it's because they want to know what my kids would like. And maybe, like Ray said, they think I'm spoiled." Chrys ran her fingers through her hair, "It's really ffrussstrating."


Nathan was beginning to like his hearing, even if it meant he would be blind one day. He could hear Chrys talking about him. He concluded that she was a challenge, and it might take the whole village for him to succeed.

 

Fox hugs Kat and scratches the behind her ears. "Relax, we're just messin with you. Its ok if you don't mate. Hell, I'm not going to. Don't worry so much, let them think whatever they want. Me and you know you're not spoiled." says Fox.

 

Nathan was a bit hurt by that comment. He wondered if that's why people were so keen on him around, "I'm not a plaything for mating!" He said under his breath.

Chrys purred but shoved herself away from Fox, "That bastie's listening! A-hole! Mind your own business!"

"Crap, I forgot she can hear." He smacked himself in the head for being so air-headed.

"Shut. Up." Chrys snarled into the night.

 

I've already picked five names, I'll let you pick the name for this one. It's only fair! And I really don't know what it will look like. It's not a curse though. Think of how many skinned knees you had as a kid. And if anyone starts a fight, they'll definately lose.

 

"Just ignore him. Come on, we should get back to the others." says Fox. Athena gives a couple happy chirps, "I guess Athena wants to get back also."

 

Smith had laughed about the It's only fair line but had quickly disagreed with what she said. That might work if it was a boy, but what if it's a girl and looks like me. He said and cursed at himself for not thinking this through. He didn't know if he could forgive himself if he had done caused something like that. He decided that he sould let it go for now only time would tell. On the other hand if she comes out looking like you there would be trouble of the opposite kind, she'd have to borrow my cane to beat the boys back. He said regaining a bit of his original mood back. So what are the names?

 

"Does she eat as many of those berries as the her mother did?" Chrys asked as they headed back, "It's hard to ignore him, he's got hearing better than mine, and still can't shut up. You know, he was in my tree when I went to get alone time earlier. He's stalking me." Her eyes were turning a deep emerald, she really was looking like a puffball at this point, her long fur fluffing up at the roots.

Nathan wished he could turn off heis hearing, that way he wouldnt have to hear her complain about his prescence. He stood up and walked into the cave. He gave an awkward grin and wave at Cody and CUll, "Congrats. Um, does anybody know where a person can go to avoid certain persons?"

 

Cevin looked around to make sure he was alone before dropping back into his cavern. He sat in the darkness for a while just thinking. He had spent many months listening to all the other survivers tell their stories. They all deserved to be remembered. Focusing his mind he began rubbing his hand on a stone until it became a stack of paper. With a quill dipped in ink, he began writing each and ever story. He began with Owen's.

 

Well, the oldest is Jessica, Jessie for short. Then John, Samantha, Cora, and the youngest is James. I'm sure whatever this baby looks like it will be beautiful. Don't beat yourself up. We both wanted this more than anything. Let's just be happy, ok!